Patient support apparatus for sensing and responding to an emergency event

Abstract

A patient support apparatus is provided for sensing and responding to an emergency event. The patient support apparatus includes a plurality of actuators to lift and lower a patient relative to a floor surface and to articulate one or more deck sections. An activator is coupled to the support structure to be actuated by a user to signal the emergency event. A plurality of electronic motion locks can be configured to a locked or unlocked state. In the locked state, a controller prevents operation of one or more of the actuators. The controller is configured to automatically reset the motion locks to their unlocked states in response to detecting the emergency event.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A patient support apparatus for sensing and responding to an emergency event, the patient support apparatus comprising:
 a support structure having a base arranged for movement along a floor surface, a support frame, and a patient support deck with a deck section capable of articulation relative to the support frame;   a plurality of actuators coupled to the support structure, including a lift actuator to lift and lower the support frame and the patient support deck relative to the base between a high height position and a low height position, and a deck actuator to articulate the deck section relative to the support frame;   a user interface to cause operation of the plurality of actuators;   an activator coupled to the support structure and arranged to be actuated by a user to signal the emergency event, the activator including a manual lever operatively attached to the support frame and a sensor arranged to sense actuation of the manual lever; and   a controller coupled to the sensor of the activator, the user interface, and the plurality of actuators, the controller comprising a motion lock module having a plurality of configurable electronic motion locks including a first motion lock associated with the lift actuator and a second motion lock associated with the deck actuator;   wherein the first motion lock has a lift locked state in which the user interface is inoperable to actuate the lift actuator to lift and lower the support frame relative to the base, and a lift unlocked state in which the user interface is operable to actuate the lift actuator to lift and lower the support frame relative to the base; and the second motion lock has a deck locked state in which the user interface is inoperable to actuate the deck actuator to articulate the deck section relative to the support frame, and a deck unlocked state in which the user interface is operable to actuate the deck actuator to articulate the deck section relative to the support frame, wherein the controller is configured to automatically reset the first motion lock and the second motion lock to their unlocked states in response to detecting the emergency event; and   wherein the controller is configured to automatically operate the lift actuator to lower the support frame and a patient disposed on the patient support deck toward the base to the low height position in response to detecting the emergency event with the activator.   
     
     
         2 . The patient support apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the manual lever is operatively coupled to the deck actuator and operable to cause the deck section to articulate to a lowered position. 
     
     
         3 . The patient support apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the deck section is a back section. 
     
     
         4 . The patient support apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to permit limited actuation of the deck actuator when in the deck locked state to prevent lowering the back section beyond a predetermined angle. 
     
     
         5 . The patient support apparatus of  claim 1 , including a footboard coupled to the support structure. 
     
     
         6 . The patient support apparatus of  claim 5 , including a second user interface coupled to the footboard, wherein the second user interface includes a user input device to access the motion lock module and configure the first motion lock and the second motion lock. 
     
     
         7 . The patient support apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to automatically operate the deck actuator to articulate the deck section to a lowered position in response to detecting the emergency event with the activator. 
     
     
         8 . The patient support apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a monitoring module configured to set a desired state of a plurality of conditions for the patient support apparatus and control a visual indicator to indicate that the patient support apparatus is in an undesired configuration in response to detecting one or more of the plurality of conditions being in an undesired state; and
 wherein the controller is configured to automatically disable the monitoring module in response to detecting the emergency event with the activator.   
     
     
         9 . The patient support apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a bed exit module configured to detect when the patient exits the patient support deck and control a visual indicator to indicate that the patient has exited the patient support deck in response to detecting the patient exiting the patient support deck; and
 wherein the controller is configured to automatically disable the bed exit module in response to detecting the emergency event with the activator.   
     
     
         10 . The patient support apparatus of  claim 1 , including a therapy device coupled to the controller to provide therapy to the patient supported on the patient support deck; and
 wherein the controller is configured to automatically disable operation of the therapy device in response to detecting the emergency event with the activator.   
     
     
         11 . The patient support apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the therapy device includes a temperature management system for one or more of warming and cooling the patient. 
     
     
         12 . The patient support apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a mattress disposed on the patient support deck for supporting the patient, the mattress including an inflation system coupled to the controller; and
 wherein the controller is configured to automatically operate the inflation system to deflate the mattress in response to detecting the emergency event with the activator.   
     
     
         13 . The patient support apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the activator includes a patient sensor disposed in communication with the controller and configured to measure one or more physiological parameters of the patient on the patient support deck; and
 wherein the controller is configured to detect the emergency event based on a comparison of the one or more physiological parameters of the patient received from the patient sensor against one or more threshold values.   
     
     
         14 . The patient support apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 determine one or more patient-specific normal values for the one or more physiological parameters based on one or more averaged values received from the patient sensor over a period of time,   determine one or more patient-specific threshold values based on a predefined deviation from the one or more patient-specific normal values, and   detect the emergency event based on the one or more patient-specific normal values exceeding the one or more patient-specific threshold values.   
     
     
         15 . The patient support apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the patient sensor includes a heart rate monitor to measure a heart rate of the patient on the patient support deck.